Leon gazed at his father's picture, his voice resonating with resolve.
"It's been two months, Father. We've commenced our training for the Solar Eclipse battle. Today, we are embarking on joint squad battle training on Earth's surface to become accustomed to the terrain. I will protect everyone, just as you did. Farewell, Father."
As Leon made his way to the training grounds in Sector A7, something seemed different. The crowd appeared larger than usual.
"Leon," a voice called out from the midst of the assembly.
Perplexed, Leon wondered who it could be. Suddenly, Ash and Codey darted towards him with boundless energy. Leon's face lit up with joy at the sight of his friends.
Ash shouted, drawing the attention of onlookers, "Leon, we missed you! Did you miss us too?"
Leon responded with an awkward smile, caught off guard.
Codey remarked, " Look at him, Leon. He seems rather disgusted by your approach."
Ash retorted with mock anger, " Shut up, Codey. Maybe he's grossed out by your antics."
Leon chuckled inwardly, thinking, "Some things never change," and gave a faint smile.
Soon, a taller figure emerged behind Ash and Codey, casting a shadow over them.
Leon calmly advised, "Look behind you, guys. I think your friend has arrived."
Ash and Codey exchanged disappointed glances upon spotting their companion.
Leon inquired, "Did I do something wrong, guys?"
Ash sighed, looking let down. "That's not the reaction we expected. We thought you'd be trembling in fear when you saw Menoetius for the first time."
Leon replied with a reassuring smile, "How can I tremble in fear when he approaches with a smile on his face?"
Ash grumbled, "Well, that smile freaked everyone else out, and they scattered."
Codey chimed in, "You're the only one it didn't work on, Leon. Ash, I told you, he's perceptive but too afraid to admit it openly."
Ash conceded, "You might have a point, Codey."
Menoetius introduced himself with humility, "I'm Menoetius from the Titan Planet. Pleasure to meet you, Leon. Ash and Codey couldn't stop talking about you. Finally, we get to meet."
Leon responded with the same humility, "I'm Leon from Planet Earth. The pleasure is mine."
Ash and Codey exchanged puzzled glances, thinking, "Are they long-lost brothers from different planets? Why are they so similar?"
Codey informed Leon, "We wanted to introduce you to our childhood friend, Mickey, but he got injured and won't be joining us for the Solar Eclipse battle."
Ash added with a grin, "I beat you,Mickey."
Just then, Mickey sneezed and quipped, "I guess Ash is saying, 'I beat you, Mickey.'"
A commanding voice reverberated, summoning everyone to assemble in the squad.
"I am Sergeant Cain from Squad 1 in Sector A7. As you know, we are here to train on the surface in preparation for the Solar Eclipse battle."
"Yes, Sergeant!" the chorus of voices responded.
Sergeant Cain continued, "Amelia and Jung from Squad 1, please step forward."
Amelia and Jung moved to the front, and Sergeant Cain announced, "Amelia will serve as the Captain of this unit, with Jung as the Lieutenant. Any objections?"
The resounding answer came, "No, Sergeant!"
Sergeant Cain continued, "Excellent. The three sectors, A, B, and C, from the 7th district, will be designated as Unit 7. You will be divided into three intersquad units: Sector A7 as the Primary Unit, Sector B7 as the Secondary Unit, and Sector C7 as the Support Unit. We have a total of 500 chosen cadets here, and each one of you carries the responsibility of protecting everyone. Work together as one."
The united response echoed, "Yes, Sergeant!"
Sergeant Cain concluded, "I will take my leave now. Proceed to the Earth Surface Station, where you will be stationed."
"Thank you for your guidance, Sergeant," the cadets chorused.
After the Sergeant departed, Amelia and Jung took the stage.
"Silence!" commanded Amelia, her demeanor cold.
"I am Amelia, your Captain. We have reviewed your data, and it's evident that discipline, cooperation, and obedience to superiors are lacking among all of you, especially Squads A to D from Sector B7. These four squads seem to be lacking in nearly every aspect."
Laughter erupted from the crowd at her blunt assessment.
Amelia silenced them with a stern look and continued, "Who is the Squad Master for Squads A to D in Sector B7?"
Codey stood up and responded, "Captain, my name is Codey, the Second-in-Command. Our Squad Master is currently at the Surface Station undergoing necessary procedures."
Amelia's shock and anger were palpable. "Who authorized his absence? Follow me; we are heading to the Surface Station."
The cadets shouted in unison, "Yes, Captain!"
Upon reaching the Earth Surface Station, Leon and others were greeted by a colossal wall, adorned with mana panels and mana chambers. There was a commotion, with a crowd gathered around.
Amelia wasted no time and yelled, "Squad Master Annarrgeal, report immediately, or you will face demotion."
Annarrgeal, with an arrogant grin, responded, "And who are you to give me orders?"
Amelia's voice dripped with authority, "I am your unit's Captain."
Annarrgeal, still smirking, countered, "I thought I was in charge of everyone."
Amelia's response was laced with sarcasm, "With your stature, you'd be better suited to lead children."
Laughter rippled through the crowd as they ridiculed Annarrgeal.
Infuriated, he shouted, "Shut up, you bastards! This is the typical height for Elves."
Amelia informed him, "We have Elves in our unit with an average height of 150 centimeters, while you appear to be around 120 centimeters. Can you even wield a sword?"
"Silence, you ignorant wench!" Annarrgeal retorted. "You know nothing about us. Elves' true height ranges from 100 to 120 centimeters. Mana absorption has increased our height. Only those of pure blood from the Elves' king's lineage remain the same height. I am from the king's lineage, and I demand respect, you wretch."
Annarrgeal's words stirred strong emotions among the cadets from Squads A to D in Sector B7. They rallied behind him, chanting their support.
Annarrgeal challenged, "I issue a duel; if anyone can break my mana bind, I will admit defeat."
Amelia accepted the challenge, her demeanor unwavering. "Come at me. Give it your all."
Annarrgeal chanted in Sindarin, attempting to command her to kneel and obey his orders.
Amelia, however, merely smirked. "Is that all? I expected more from you."
Annarrgeal was dumbfounded as he realized his attempt had no effect. He conceded defeat, acknowledging, "A true warrior admits defeat when bested."
Amelia stated triumphantly, "I thought you'd be more stubborn. Now tell me, why is there such a commotion, and why have Units 1 to 7 gathered here?"
Annarrgeal explained, "It appears all of us have coincided in our training schedules. HQ wants us to coordinate our timings among ourselves, which is why everyone is gathered here discussing it."
Amelia inquired, "What should we do then? These units are proud and stubborn, unwilling to share their timings or allow others to go first."
Annarrgeal suggested, "That's why they proposed a scheduling game called the 'Stupid Game.'"
Amelia thought to herself, "The 'Stupid Game'? These cunning Bastards ."
Ash asked Codey, "What's the 'Stupid Game'?"
Codey explained, "It's a game where you win by saying the stupidest thing. These arrogant units chose it because they believe the stupidest unit should go first for more training, while the stronger units go last since they require less."
A voice called out, "Captains from each Unit, step forward and select your order by rolling dice."
Amelia rolled two dice and obtained a total of 12, choosing to go last.
The Captain from Unit 1 clarified the rules, "There are seven units present, so each unit will send one member from their DEXTERS species to play. Te same species cannot be repeated within units. Unit 7, being the winner, send your 'stupidest' species."
Everyone erupted in laughter.
Amelia thought to herself, "That Unit 1 psycho, how dare he mock us."
Amelia looked for someone, suddenly Amelia glanced at Squads A to D from Sector B7, and they understood her intent. All eyes turned to Ash, who appeared bewildered.
Amelia announced, "We will send a Human, Ash, from our Unit."
Ash couldn't fathom why he was chosen, but he accepted the challenge.
Representatives from each unit stepped forward.
Zeak from Unit 1, the game's coordinator, explained, "Each of you must share the stupidest thing about your planet. You cannot repeat someone else's topic, but you can repeat broad categories. It's a single round."
The order of participants was as follows: Demons, Elves, Titans, Xiaos, Rabisus, Stihians, and Humans.
The game commenced.
The Demon representative began enthusiastically, "We Demons are so stupid. we have a hyper-speed train, but most of us still fly everywhere with our wings"
Laughter erupted from the different planets, except for Earth.
Codey pondered, "I've never seen a Hyper Speed train before."
The Elf representative stated, "Our height is perfectly average, yet we're constantly called 'Shorty.' That's stupid."
More laughter and some mocking ensued, although a few individuals seemed genuinely displeased.
The Titan representative declared, "Titans are over 8 feet tall, but the doorways are only 7 feet tall."
Confusion mixed with laughter as they wondered about the purpose of such doors.
Zeak intervened, "Remember, explanations are not allowed during the game."
The Xiaos member joined in, "We Xiaos are stupid, our bodies are covered in fur, yet we groom ourselves and wear clothes over it."
An uncomfortable silence followed.
The Rabisus representative confessed, " We're unbelievably dim-witted, we have our own species as food, yet we eat artificially created food from Earthlings."
The room fell into a tense silence, filled with unease.
Next, the Stihians representative claimed, "We play a sport where winning is considered losing."
Confusion reigned as they tried to fathom such a concept.
When it came to the Humans' turn, everyone expected the Titans or Stihians to win, believing that Earth had nothing truly stupid to offer.
Finally, it was Ash's turn, and Unit 7 was hoping Ash would say something sensible, not foolish, as Earth's reputation was at stake.
Ash, without hesitation, declared, "We're unbelievably stupid, we play a sport where we carry a ball but call it 'Football.'"
Every Human facepalmed, while the other species looked shocked.
Zeak from Unit 1 declared, "Unit 7 wins," and the other units departed without saying a word.
Unit 7 understood what the Stihians had meant earlier: "Where winning is considered as losing."
As they prepared to train on Earth's surface, enthusiasm waned, and they descended into an elevator to access the Earth's surface.
Stepping outside, they encountered an endless expanse of sand stretching to the horizon, an unforgiving desert landscape, with grains of sand obscuring their vision. The relentless desert wind howled from all directions, forcing them to use their mana to shield themselves and don goggles and battle suits. Their flowing garments, resembling the desert's shifting sands, showcased shades of blue.
As they trekked through the harsh terrain, the sun's relentless absorption of mana began to take its toll. One by one, exhaustion overtook them, and they succumbed to unconsciousness.
Some returned to the shelter, and those who remained could not sustain their mana swords for long. Most fell unconscious within an hour, unable to stay awake.
Units periodically ventured outside, kept consuming Mana potions, and soon realized the harshness of the battle awaiting them in a month. Fear and hopelessness gripped some, while others lost their motivation. Exhaustion reigned supreme as Units 1 to 7, once brimming with energy, now felt drained and defeated.
But Amelia stood firm and addressed Unit 7, with other units listening, "Today, we've experienced the kind of environment we'll face in battle against the Voids. We've longed for this moment from the day we entered this world, but now, the thought of venturing outside fills us with an unsettling fear. To be honest, I wish the Soul Corps had never summoned us here. But we are here now, and look outside. Those swirling sands are not just grains; they are the remains of people turned to dust. There are Dollows(Soulless Dolls)wandering on the surface, waiting for us to save them. If we back down now, who will rescue them? Who will safeguard the people we are sworn to protect?"
A heavy silence hung in the air.
Ash stood tall and declared with unwavering confidence, "I will save everyone and protect my sister, who has become a Dollow. I will restore her soul."
Every Unit rallied behind him, standing and raising their hands, roaring, "We will save all beings in this Universe."
Meanwhile, Commander Kenzo, upon hearing their resounding roar, turned to Cyrus and said, "Can you hear that? Every child you personally selected to train here on Earth a decade ago is now roaring with resolve. I hope you're listening."
[End of Chapter]